Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. H. HAYES.

GAR COUPLING. No. 319,250. Patented June 2, 1885.

Warren STATES PATENT warren,

JAMES H. HAYES, OF FAXON, MINNESOTA. A

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,250, dated June 2,1885.

Application filed March 24, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. HAYES, a citizen of the United States,residingin Faxon, in the county of Sibley and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-0ouplings, of whichthe following is a description.

The invention consists in certain novel features in connection with thecoupling link and with the coupling-pin, whereby the parts are renderedmore certain and effective in their action; and it consists, also, inthe combination, with the coupling-chain, of mechanism whereby the pinis lifted and held out of its operative position, and whereby therelation of the pin to the tripping block is indicated with precisionand certainty.

In the outer extremity or mouth of the longitudinal cavity or throat inthe draw head which contains the coupling-link, at the bottom of suchmonth, is placed a spring of suitable construction, upon which the outerportion of the link is supported, preferably at a height about midwaybetween the top and the bottom of the opening. In this mid -heightposition the link is readily elevatable, or depressible, and istherefore adapted to enter the opening in the opposite draw -head,whether such draw-head be somewhat higher or somewhat lower than thedraw-head which contains the link.

The draw-head which carries the trippingblock and the coupling-pin isprovided on either side, toward the rear thereof, with a longitudinalopening, which extends from the central longitudinal cavity or passageout wardly through the exterior wall of the drawhead. Thetripping-block, the main portion of which is of an ordinary rectangularform, is provided on either side, at or near its rear extremity, with anarm, which extends outwardly through the longitudinal opening in thewall of the draw-head, and it is also preferably provided on its lowerface with antifriction rollers, which render it more readily slidablewithin its passage or cavity. In the outer face of this draw-head, nearthe front and on either side, at about the mid-height thereof, is alongitudinal recess, which terminates rearwardly at the front extremityof the lateral longitudinal openings, within which,

(No model.)

from end to end, extends a spiral spring, the rear end of which isconnected to the corresponding arm of the tripping-block, and theopposite end of which is secured to the outer extremity of the draw-head. A verticallyplaced guard or sheath for the reception and passageof the coupling -pin is secured upon the top of this draw-head in such amanner that its central passage or barrel shall form a continuation ofthe perforations in the top and bottom walls of the draw-head, so thatwhen, by' the movement of the coupling -link, the tripping-block ispushed from under the point of the coupling -pin the latter willdescend, first, into and through the upper perforation in the draw-head,then through the space embraced within the link, and finally into thelower perforation in the drawhead.

A standard which carries a laterally-projecting arm is secured upon thetop of the car, and upon the laterally-projecting arm is pivoted alever, the outer end of which projects beyond the end of the car to a.point directly over the guard or sheath, where it is connected to alifting-chain, the lower end of which is attached to the head of thecouplingpin. The chain is of such length that when the inner end of thelever is depressed the coupling-pin cannot fall into the engagingopenings in the draw-head. In other words, the coupling cannot beeffected when the lever is in this position, even if the couplinglink bethrust into the draw-head, and the tripping-block thereby removed frombeneath the point of the coupling-pin.

From that side of the lever which is next to the supporting standardproject two lugs, through a perforation in each of which is looselyreceived a locking-bolt, which is provided with an encircling actuatingspring, which is confined between the outer face of the innermost lugand the inner face of the shouldered head of the'locking-bolt, whichengages with a cavity or stop which is provided upon the rear upperportion of the lateral lever-supporting arm, while a small bell-cranklever, which is connected to the rear end of the locking-bolt and ispivoted to the side of the lifting-lever, serves to withdraw the boltfrom its locking position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly ver which operates thecoupling-chain and its pin. Fig. 5 is an end view of the link-carryingdraw-head, showing thesupporting-spring at themouth of the cavity, andin dotted lines the position of the link upon the spring. Fig. 6 is atransverse section on the line yy of Fig. 3.. Fig. 7 is a detail plan ofthe operatinglever.

A is the linkcarrying draw-head. V a is the spring within the draw-headA, and

f B is the coupling-link.

O is the draw-head which carries the trip ping-blockand coupling-pin.

I Q is the tripping-block.

.G is the coupling-pin. c is the central longitudinal cavity orpassage.

c is the longitudinal opening or guide slot in each side of thedraw-head I a are the arms upon the tripping-block. c are theanti-friction rollers upon the tripping-block.

c is the longitudinal recess; c is the spring within the recess c is ahead upon the outer end ofthespring. c" is a straight portion or neck ofthe spring 0 c is a cavity which receives the head 0 of end of thedraw-head O, and the head 0 upon the spring.

c is a narrow slot which receives the neck c of the spring.

0 is the perforation in the top of the drawhead.

0 is the perforation in the lower portion of the draw-head.

D is the guard or sheath for the couplingpin.

E is the standard upon the roof of the car.

F is the arm upon the standard E.

F is the lever upon the arm F.

f is the outer or lifting portion of the lever F.

e is the lifting or coupling chain.

]f are lugs upon the operating-lever.

F is the locking-bolt.

F is the actuating-spring.

f is the shouldered head upon the locking bolt.

f is the cavity for the locking-bolt. f G is the bell-crank lever.

f is the link which connects the bolt F" with the lever f It will beseen that by reason of the location of the retracting-springs within thelongitudinal recesses formed in the exterior faces of the draw-head thesprings are not only readily accessible for renewal or repair, but areat the same time protected against injury by the walls of the recesswithin which they are embraced, and that by reason of the provision ofthe lateral arms upon the trippingblock and the longitudinal openings orguideslots in the side walls of the draw-head,which serve both as aguide and as a. stop for such arms, an independent stop to prevent thetripping-block from being thrown out from its passage or chamber isrendered unnecessary.

It will also be observed that it is only when the inner unattached endof the lifting-lever is. at its greatest elevation that the chain isrelaxed, so thatthe coupling may be effected.

In other words, if the inner end of the lever be depressed, thelifting-chain will be held taut, so that the coupling-pin cannot falland engage the coupling-link. The lever, therefore, performs the doubleoffice of a litter for the coupling-pin and of a signal to indicate whenthe coupling-pin is in such relation with the operating-lever that itcannot fall into its coupling position.

The cavity or passage in the link-bearing draw-head is diminished invertical extent from the front at the top rearwardly and downwardly andfrom the front at the bottom rearwardly and upwardly until at its innerextremity it is only of ,sufiicient size in vertical dimensions toreceive the inner end of the link. This construction maintains the linkat its rear in a position which is midway between the bottom and the topof the drawhead, and at the same time leaves it free in its main portionto move upwardly or downwardly under any pressure that may be brought tobear upon its outer extremity.

The narrow slot 0 may extend to the outer the outer end 'of the spring 0will then engage with the end of the draw-head, a shallow recess beingformed therein to receive such head, in the manner indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 3.

If desired, a covering-plate may be ap plied in any convenient mannerover the longitudinal recess a, to conceal and more effectually protectthe spring 0 The improvements are applicable to fiat or platform cars aswell as to box-cars or to passenger cars, and it will be apparent thatwhen applied to either it is unnecessary for the operator to passbetween the cars eitherin coupling or uncoupling them. A springplate hasbeen placed upon the inclined upper surface of the lower part of themouthof a link-receiving draw-head,and exterior springs for actuating atripping block have been applied within longitudinal openings in theside walls of a draw-head, and therefore I do not broadly claim eitheradraw-head which is provided with a link-supporting spring or adraw-head which has exterior longitudinal springs for actuating atripping-block.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A link-bearing draw-head theinterior chamber or cavity of which is tapered continuously from end toend thereof on both its upper and its lower surface, and which isprovided at its extreme outer portion with a spring which rests upon thebottom of the cavity, is disconnected from the sides and from the top ofthe cavity, and terminates upwardly at about the mid-height of thecavity,and which is adapted, as described, to support the coupling-linkin a horizontal position midway between the top and bottom of thecavity.

2. The combination of a link-bearing drawhead the interior chamber orcavity of which is tapered from end to end thereof on both its upper andits lower surface, and which is provided at its extreme outer portionwith a spring which, as described, supports the link at a point aboutmidway between the top and the bottom of the cavity, with a draw-headwhich is provided with an interior slidable trippingblock which haslateral arms, and which is actuated by springs which are exterior to theinner cavity of such draw-head.

3. A draw-head, a link within the drawhead, a spring beneath the outerportion of the link and directly at the mouth of the cavity in thedraw-head, an oppositely-placed drawhead, a slidable tripping -blockwithin such draw-head, longitudinal openings or guideslots in the sidewalls of such draw-head, lateral arms which project from the rearportion of the tripping-block, which extend through the guide-slots, andwhich, in the outer ad- 5 justment of the tripping-block, bear againstthe outer end of the guide-slots, and springs which connect the outerextremity of the arms with the outer end of such oppositely-placeddraw-head, all in combination substantially as described.

4:. The combination, in a draw-head, of an interior slidabletripping-block, longitudinal perforations or guide-slots in the sidewalls of such draw-head,arms upon the tripping-block which projectoutwardly through the longitudinal perforations or guide-slots, a recesswhich extendslongitudinally along each side of the draw-head from thefront extremity of the longitudinal perforation to a point near theouter end of the draw-head, and springs which are received within therecess and extend from end to end of the same, and which at one end areconnected to the arms upon the trippingblock, and which at the oppositeend are connected to the outer extremity of the draw-head.

5. The combination,with a railway-car, of a draw-head which carries aslidable trippingblock, a standard which carries a pivoted lever, acoupling-pin which is connected by its chain to the pivoted lever, and alocking-bolt upon such lever and slidable lengthwise along the same,whereby the lever is adjusted in such position as will permit thecoupling-pin to be dropped into engagement with the couplinglink andwith the vertical perforations in the body of the drawhead,substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a railway-car, of a draw-head, a guard or sheathupon the drawhead, a coupling pin within the guard or sheath, atripping-block to support the coupling-pin, a standard upon the roof ofthe car, an arm upon the standard, a recess upon the arm,a lever pivotedupon the arm, a bolt slidable upon the lever and adapted to engage withthe recess upon the arm, and a chain which is connected to the outer endof the lever and to the upper end of the coupling-pin, whereby the levermay be either so adjusted that the coupling-pin may descend to itscoupling position through the action of the coupling-link upon thetripping-block alone, or so adjusted that the coupling-pin cannotdescend to its coupling position.

7. The combination, in a railway-car, of a link-receiving draw-head, aguard or sheath upon the draw-head, a coupling-pin adapted to the guardor sheath,a tripping-block within the link-receiving draw-head, avertical standard upon the top of the car, an arm which proj ectshorizontally from the side of the standard toward the side of the car, alever the outer extremity of which projects over the space at the end ofthe car to apoint directly or nearly directly above the guard or sheath,pivoted upon the arm, a bolt which is secured to the lever and isslidable along the same, and is adapted to engage with the recess uponthe arm, and a chain which is connected to the outer end of the leverand to the upper end of the coupling-pin, whereby when the inner end ofthe lever is elevated the bolt will be locked in engagement with therecess in the lateral arm, and the coupling-pin will be in such relationto the lever and the chain that it will descend to its coupling positionwhen the tripping-block is moved inwardly.

8. The combination, with a link-bearing draw-head, the cavity or passageof which diminishes above and below in vertical dimensions from itsouter to its inner extremity, and forming at such inner extremity and atthe mid-height of the draw-head aseat of only such vertical extent aswill permit the reception of the coupling-link, of a spring at thebottom of the outer extremity of such cavity, and a link which isadapted to fit the seat at the in ner extremity of such cavity, andwhich rests by its outer portion upon the spring at the bottom of theouter extremity of the cavity.

JAMES H. HAYES.

Witnesses:

W. D. HARRINGTON, E. A. HARRINGTON.

